Rudolf Laban (1879-1958) is widely recognized as the most important
movement theorist of this century. As an Austro-Hungarian choreographer,
dancer, teacher, philosopher, and writer, he worked alone and in
collaboration with such great figures of European modern dance as Mary
Wigman and Kurt Jooss. He developed an internationally used movement
notation (Labanotation), while uncovering the basic principles of
movement structure and purpose.
Rudolf Laban was born on December 15th, 1879, in Bratislava, then
part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father, an officer in the army,
had hoped that his son would follow the same career. However, after a
short time spent in a military school, Rudolf Laban decided that his
real interest was art and, from 1900 to 1907, he studied at the Ecole
des Beaux Arts in Paris. While there, he became concerned with stage
design, drama and dancing. He appeared with a troupe in Montmartre, at
the Moulin Rouge, under the stage name of “Attila de Varalja,” taken
from his full name – “Varaljai vereknyei esliget falvi Laban Rezso
Keresztelo Szent Jano Attila.”
Between 1905 and 1910, Laban carried out research into ancient
dances, rituals, and movement habits. As a youth, he had traveled in
North Africa as well as the Near East – wherever his father was
stationed as governor – and he was thus acquainted with oriental and
slavic civilizations. His observations of various cultures, dances and
work patterns provided a basis for his future work. Laban’s first
experiments with dance script also date back to these early years in
Paris. He also worked on theatre architecture, decor and costumes.
Twenty year later, in an international competition, he received a gold
medal for his model design of a dance theatre.
For three years preceding the war, Laban was director of the Lago
Maggiore summer festivals at Ascona, Switzerland, where he headed a
self-sustaining art colony. Here he conceived the ideas of natural dance
for all people and started the idea of movement choirs. He sought dance
drama in contrast to the formal mime and technique of classical ballet.
Here also he began his investigations into space patterns and
harmonies.
The open air theatre which Laban started to build was interrupted by
the war. He left Ascona and also Munich, where he had been producer of
the winter Art Festivals, and sought refuge in Zurich where he lived
from 1915 to 1918 and where he established his own school and put on
many productions. During these years, his research stressed more and
more the nature of rhythms and space harmonies.
Between 1919 and 1923, Laban founded schools in Basel, Stuttgart,
Hamburg, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Rome, Vienna, Paris, and other
European centers. Each was called a Laban School and was placed under
the direction of a former Laban master pupil. In subsequent years, he
established many movement choirs in addition to those that were branches
of the already existing Laban schools. He experimented with speech
choirs and put on such productions as Faust and Prometheus. His works
ranged from compositions for “Kammer Tanz” (small chamber groups) to
works for huge movement choirs: from lay works to theatre and concert
dance.
In 1926, Laban’s Choreographic Institute moved from Wurzburg to
Berlin. At the end of this year he traveled through the United States
and Mexico, lecturing in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
During this visit, he started Irma-Betz on the study of script. As the
first student in America she paved the way for the future development of
notation in this country.
Author-Ibishko
Last updated-2008
Accessed-29th January 2012
Rudolf Laban met Kurt Jooss after his graudution and Laban allowed him to work with him on his notation. He hired Jooss as a ballet master and he was allowed to perform however her then decided to choreograph.
ReplyDelete